Back in the Saddle

Summer is officially Gone. You know how I determine that? Vacation was the reward for crossing the finish line and now vacation is over. Leaving Summer 2010 as a distant but fond memory.

Silas at a Fountain in Knoxville
Vacation 2010

My beautiful wife has logged our awesome vacation in great detail over at the more popular blog from our household. (Honestly, my wife is a minor blog celebrity. I was in Raleigh at a conference this summer and met a person whom neither of us had met who stated, "oh yeah, I love your wife's blog") So, I will gladly bow down to the blog queen of our house. haha...what the heck was all that about? I digress greatly.

Vacation was much needed. My life gets pretty jumbled with stuff that's not the most important. For vacation we went to the Great Smoky Mountains and camped for 8 days. That's a good way to be reminded of priorities. 8 days without electricity, phones, internet, even showers (proper). I recall thinking "who cares about Facebook anyway?" I could live like that forever until I'm reminded that I was sent to serve the lost people of the world.

Savannah playing with rocks
Yes, rocks. She's also sitting
in a stroller in the middle of
a big mountain stream. 

Which brings me to my post tonight. Recently I've been challenged to grow myself up a little. I was finding myself frustrated with my Christian living. Yeah, i'm a "pastor" (youth minister/ preacher.... whatever). It's easy for me to sit on my laurels and talk to our people about witnessing and serving people for Jesus. But all my life I've struggled with making that happen. I never want to be satisfied with the work I'm doing in the kingdom. And through all the "busy-work" and "church" It's easy to miss huge opportunities.

So, I made the choice about a month ago to strategically position myself for such service and evangelism. (it's not the first time I've done this but the most recent). I've been praying for opportunities, I even applied with the local school system as a substitute teacher for the High School near our house so I might meet some new people. God has begun to pour out generously from his "opportunities" pitcher.

 I've had some awesome opportunities pop up in the last few weeks. I won't go into detail to protect these people's privacy but here are a few of things I'm being challenged with.

1. we just got new neighbors...I live in a duplex...neighbors are CLOSE
2. this week 2 boys from the neighborhood just "walked up" to the church and wanted to hang out in theLOFT (our student center) they've been at work with me every day this week. I've played a lot of games with them and had some serious talks too. (one of them brought me a slice of his birthday cake once..haha... awesome!) They also have friends and brothers who want to hand out. I'm trying to balance hospitality with caution here. We'll see what happens. 
3. Silas made his first "friend" this week. Everyone Silas knows is someone that we introduced him to. But today, as he was riding his bike with his mom he met a neighborhood kid who came over to play. So far, I know enough about him to know that we could really love on his family
4. a man in our church lives very close to me. He is in need of some serious love (our church people love on him A LOT but I'm his neighbor too so I want to take it up a notch) I've got some very specific ways I plan to help him as the hands and feet of Jesus.
5. The coordinator of a Fellowship of Christian Athletes at a local High School is looking for people to come in and lead a devotion weekly on Wed. mornings. She asked me for a list of dates when I'm avaibable. I told here I could do it every week this semester if she needs me. (I'm waiting to hear back)

Naps in a tent are tough
especially with mesh-faced brothers

Pray for my diligence. Pray for my focus. Pray for ways you can serve the king OUTSIDE the walls of your church.

James 1:22-25 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

Peace-
Chris